In the glittering world of tech giants, Meta has been playing a dangerous game that would make even Wall Street hedge fund managers blush.

A bombshell report from Reuters reveals that Mark Zuckerberg’s empire has been secretly milking scam ads like a digital cash cow, all while claiming to protect its users. The shocking truth? Meta isn’t just tolerating these fraudulent advertisements - they’re actively profiting from them.

The Scam Economy

Internal documents expose a jaw-dropping strategy where Meta deliberately keeps “high value” scam accounts active, generating billions in revenue. We’re talking about a staggering 15 billion “high risk” scam ads per day across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Follow the Money

The most infuriating part? Meta’s own internal estimates suggest they could rake in around $16 billion from scam ads - that’s approximately 10% of their total revenue. Instead of aggressively shutting down these digital predators, they’ve been strategically “penalizing” scammers by charging higher ad rates. Talk about a twisted corporate playbook.

The AI Connection

Here’s the kicker: Meta has been using these scam ad profits to fund its ambitious AI development. By keeping these fraudulent ads running, they’ve been funneling money into technologies that could potentially revolutionize how we interact with digital platforms. The irony is so thick you could spread it on toast.

As one former Meta safety investigator put it, “If regulators wouldn’t tolerate banks profiting from fraud, they shouldn’t tolerate it in tech”. Preach.

While Meta claims they’re fighting fraud, the numbers tell a different story. In 2025, they’re estimated to be involved in a third of all successful scams in the US. Silicon Valley, we’re looking at you.